MoroccanBlue

We concede from a set piece against that United team everyone deserves a lashing.

That's a good point. I too would like us to attack them, but Old Trafford has been our bogey ground for years. I'm hoping the lack of fans and the introduction of Mendy+Silva affects our players.

The only threat United will have is Rashford. You think CHO will do a better job than Mount in helping James/Dave with Rashford?

But the scenario you are providing will just result in tedious possession football, with no creativity in midfield, against a United side that will have a low block. A United side that also has no Martial, Maguire, and Greenwood. Do you honestly expect United and their low block to press us as intensely as Sevilla?

Kante/Kovacic/Jorginho midfield would only be beneficial if we were up against sides that have a stronger midfield than us. United are undoubtedly going to sacrifice their midfield for 5 at the back. All we need from the two central midfielders is a disciplined performance. Preferably Kante and Kovacic. We already know what United's game plan is.

It's the risk involved. Tossing in a player who hasn't played competitive football in months in a game as prolific as this.

There's being fit and match ready.

I would play Mount, but only at RW. He can add much needed protection for James against Rashford.Other than that, imagine Chilwell, Pulisic, and Werner terrorising that left side? Again, all this talk will be pointless if the players aren't focused and Lampard isn't drilling into them the game plan of a disciplined performance.

No. He's had zero game time. Both Martial and Greenwood out would be huge in terms of how we set up.

Think many need to remember that United will be without Martial and possibly Greenwood too. That limits their pace up top with only Rashford, and James if Ole has the balls to play him again. We won't need to go 343 here. It will be Silva+Zouma vs Cavani.

He wouldn't? He's exactly what we need in midfield?

Will United press us? If so, that is where Kovacic will become useful.

If the PSG result means anything, Ole will certainly go back to the shitehousery that we suffered against. We need to be cautious here.

Mendy James---Silva---Zouma--Chilwell Kante---Kovacic Ziyech----Havertz----Pulisic Werner

Silva still starting

It's like a bloody comedy club joke. Comedian - Kepa is so shit Audience - How shit is he? Comedian - Our technical director has to come out of retirement and be a backup.

Kepa and Zouma/Rudiger/Christensen should feel downright embarrassed. Utterly humiliating that a 36 year old CB needs to teach them how to defend, and that our technical director, has to come out of bloody retirement, and provide protection.

Link?

Bayern are able to play a high line because their entire back line are proper footballers, and the fact Neuer is able to bail them out time and time again. We have Zouma and Dave who are notoriously known to struggle in playing it out from the back. Mendy is also incredibly poor at sweeping based on statistical analysis. If we are going to press, a midfielder needs to stay back. It's so fundamentally easy to sort out yet it continues to happen!

But when we press there is a massive disconnect between the defence and midfield, something time and time again continues to get exposed. Bayern, excuse my french, raped our midfield last season given this blatant weakness.

The entire team needs to be well in tune with a pragmatic approach. I'd have Kante sit with Kovacic, and our attack relaxed on their press. Mendy Dave---Silva---Zouma---Chilwell Kante---Kovacic CHO------Havertz-----Pulisic Werner

We are talking about what needs to be done from now until January, when Lampard can get a DM. There's is no better alternative than a 433 with Kante sitting. But with that must be a disciplined and structured style of play. Congest then hit them on the break. There's literally no other solution that can fix our embarrassingly blatant problem.

Hard to do that when 1/2 of our back line can't play possession football and the big gaping hole in midfield. If bloody football fans on an online forum can figure this out but not Frank, his sacking will be justified.

That's a great analysis tbf. The thing we need to work on at the moment is the gap in midfield when defending. Should be operating a counter attacking game, much like the performance against City at the bridge, until a proper DM and good CB are purchased. Focus on defensive structure more than anything.

The journalists are just responding to the fact Mendy trained with the team. We have no idea if he's match ready/fit. Which is a reason why Lampard said what he said.